Fans of Steven Spielberg films are probably well-acquainted with Zach Galligan and his breakout role (Billy) from the iconic 1980’s film, Gremlins. Fortunately, a new venture is on the horizon for Zach as it was just announced that he has been cast as Glen Castor in Nick Belial’s upcoming crime/thriller feature film, To Avenge. I am honored to share our recent chat in which he briefly overviewed his career while also discussing his current pursuits.
RH: Zach, how did you get started in acting?
ZG: It’s always hard for me to believe it when I tell this story because I kind of got discovered like actors used to in the old days. Like when Lana Turner was discovered in Schwab’s Drugstore. I was in a play at my school in Manhattan, The Collegiate School, and I was doing a monologue in a comedy sketch show. A woman in the audience who was a casting director saw me and spoke to my drama teacher afterward. She had me come in and try out for a couple of studio movies right around 1980, 1981. I didn’t get either one of them, but she said, “You know, I think if you just got more auditions, you could probably do this.” I said, “That sounds great, but how do I get more auditions?” She said, “Well, you get something called an agent.” I said, “What’s an agent?” She said, “That’s somebody whose entire life is revolved around getting actors auditions.” I was like, “Oh, that sounds exactly like what I need. How do I get one of those?” I mean, at the time, I was seventeen and didn’t know anything! She said, “Well, it’s difficult for most people, but if you’re serious about this, you just sit by the phone and I’ll call you back in half an hour.” I said, “Yes, I’m serious about it.” So I waited half an hour and she called me back. Little did I know at the time she had set me up with meetings with the three most powerful agents in New York City. So I went and met with the three most powerful agents and picked the one I liked, and I was off and running.
I can see how that story is one that would be quite difficult to believe. Those kinds of things don’t happen very often.
It was just one of those things that kind of fell into my lap.
What was your first professional on-screen role?
I did one day on a soap opera called Another World. That was back when there used to be soap operas on all the time, which all changed about ten years ago. You had As The World Turns and All My Children, and Another World was another one of them. So I did one day on that. I had one scene, a ton of dialogue, and they only gave us like one take. So I did my one take, and the next thing I knew, it was on TV a week later. And everyone in my high school class was losing their mind. {laughs}
So I guess your big break came pretty early on in your career.
Yes, being cast in Gremlins was really a life changer. Nothing was really the same after that. Any time you get cast in a Spielberg movie, especially in the ’80’s when he was absolutely at the peak of his career, that’s pretty much going to define you for the next ten years or longer.
What was the audition process like for that movie?
Well, this one was surprisingly fast. I would say I got the part in about a week. I met the casting director and read for her and she was like, “Great. Can you come back tomorrow?” I came back the next day, met the producer, and read for him. He was like, “Great. Can you come back and meet the director?” I was like, “Sure.” About two days later, I came back and they paired me with Pheobe Cates. We did a couple of takes, and then I left that day for spring break. It was like March 1983.
I went down to Fort Lauderdale, going, “Oh, that was fun.” I got down to Fort Lauderdale, and I was there for about five or six hours. My mom called me and left a message at the hotel ’cause there were no cell phones back in those days. When I got back to the hotel, I found out there was a message from my mother. I was like, “Mom, can’t you let me have one day of spring break in peace?” But I called her up and she said, “Guess who got the part in Gremlins.” I used to say that to her all the time when I lost a part. I’d be like, “Guess who got the part in whatchamacallit.” She’d be like, “Oh, no, who?” And I’d be like, “Rob Lowe,” or “Matthew Broderick,” or whatever. So she goes, “Guess who got the part in Gremlins.” I was like, “Oh, no, who?” She was like, “You did.” I was like, “Holy cow!” And she said, “Yeah, you have to agree to do the film or not.” I said, “Well, of course, I’m gonna do the movie.” She said, “Okay, I’ll call them and tell them you’ll do the movie, and then you can see the script.” I said, “Can I see the script before I agree to the movie?” She said, “No, you have to agree to the movie, and then you can see what you signed up for.”
behind-the-scenes
Gremlins
When you guys were shooting the film, did you have any idea how iconic this film would become?
You know, it’s funny because time has a way of changing people’s memories. I remember distinctly…you know, I just did a mathematical equation in my head which was…everything Spielberg touches–even stuff he didn’t direct like Poltergeist–everything he does turns to gold. So basically even if this movie underperformed and did like twenty-five percent of what E.T. did, it would still make a hundred million dollars. My whole feeling was that this movie would have to completely bomb…it would have to be a titanic disaster…and I didn’t see how anything Spielberg did…who was probably the hottest filmmaker of all-time at that time…I just didn’t see how it could bomb. People could not like it or they could think it was stupid, but I didn’t think in any conceivable way that it could possibly bomb. I thought it would be a hit. Now I found out that everybody else thought it was very, very iffy, hit or miss. And I don’t know, maybe they did think that at the time. Maybe they just didn’t have much confidence in it. But especially once I saw the poster that said “Steven Spielberg Presents,” I was like, “Done.”
You’ve been in the business since you were a teenager. Have you worked pretty steadily since that time?
I’ve pretty much worked as much as I wanted to. Obviously, I didn’t get every project I wanted. But essentially, I’ve been able to work depending on the amount of effort I put into it. Sometimes I’m focused on other things in my life. When I was living in New York from 2003 to 2015, I was focused a little bit more on teaching at NYU Tisch School of the Arts. I was going out for stuff, but I was focused on teaching. I had just gotten married, and I was focused a little bit more on my actual life. Then I was also writing stuff. I prefer having a bit of balance in my life. While I do love acting, it is not always the first thing I think about when I get up in the morning like other actors might. But I appreciate every role I’ve had the opportunity to do. While I don’t get every role I want, when I apply myself, I can work as regularly as anyone else.
How did you get attached to this upcoming feature To Avenge?
Well, Nick emailed me out of the blue and wanted to know if I had an interest in possibly being a part of this production. I asked him to send me the script, which he said wasn’t quite done. So I asked him to send me bits and pieces of it so I would at least have an idea of the character. So he sent it to me. I told him that it looked good and to send me the completed script once it was finished. He sent me the completed script, and I read it. He said, “What do you think?” I said, “When do we start?” And now I’m doing it.
Since your playing Vera’s dad, what intrigues you about playing this role and being a part of the film?
There are a number of reasons. Reason number one is it’s a straight-out drama. I like to get out of my sci-fi/horror neighborhood every now and then. Secondly, it was one of the first times that I am going to be playing an adult who actually has children. For some reason, I don’t get cast as fathers a lot, so I thought that was good. I get to play a father with a grown adult daughter and a wife, and that is appealing to me. I also appreciate the fact that Nick has scheduled my scenes in the way that I prefer shooting films. Although it’s not anyone’s fault, when shooting a film, it can sometimes be days and days of waiting around on set and not shooting. I’m not saying that’s bad, but I prefer to be able to get in and work hard and get it done. And that is the way Nick has scheduled my scenes. I really appreciate that about him.
Why do you believe this film will be successful and resonate with viewers?
Well, let me say that this movie is in one of my favorite genres. It’s a revenge movie. I think as far as movies go, revenge movies always work well. They’re deeply satisfying to the audience because in real life, most people can’t get revenge because they can’t break the law or nobody wants to break the law and go to jail to get revenge. So the movie is very cathartic in that way. It allows you to see justice served and bad people get their comeuppance. Unfortunately, in real life, that doesn’t necessarily happen.
In addition to To Avenge, do you have any other upcoming works you can mention?
I got to work with Kevin Smith and Jason Mewes of Jay and Silent Bob. Jason just did his first directorial gig called Madness to the Method. That’s coming out this year, and I have a nice supporting role in that. I’m also doing another independent feature sometime soon called Preacher Six.
Zach, thank you so much for your time! I’m very excited to see all these upcoming works, especially To Avenge.
I am looking forward to getting started on To Avenge too. Thank you for the chat, Ruth.
Picture Credit: Ashley Anderson
For me, it is always a veritable treat to observe actors who were popular during my youth as they recreate themselves in this industry by portraying intriguing roles that seek to demonstrate the range of their giftedness. Additionally, it is an opportunity to introduce the next generation to legendary actors of yesteryear and prove that these artists are still professionals with dynamic, enduring capabilities. I salute Nick for securing Zach in what I am convinced will be an impactful film that will evoke strong emotion and further motivate individuals to act and speak out on behalf of women who have been silenced for far too long. There is no doubt that Zach recognizes this role is a step outside of his wheelhouse, but he is excited to infuse himself into a different kind of role, and his fans are ecstatic to witness it. While we await his performance in To Avenge, be sure that you check out all of the links below and consider following where applicable. Furthermore, if you have not ever checked out Gremlins or some of Zach’s other well-known films/show, I would invite you to investigate his repertoire as soon as possible so that you can witness and respect Zach’s diversified talents for yourself.
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